Archives by date

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I began to pull out my Christmas decorations. While unpacking all my pretty accessories, it occurred to me that I had one little problem. My new house doesn’t have a fireplace, hence it does not have a mantle. Where am I going to hang my stockings? So over the past few days, I’ve been looking for alternative ways to hang my stockings. I thought I’d share a few of the ideas I found in case any of you are facing the same holiday dilemma!

“Silver Bells” has always been my favorite Christmas song. It’s about shopping, what did you expect? But more than that, I have always loved the imagery it conjures up – bustling city sidewalks, filled with merry people enjoying the holiday season and shopping happily for their loved ones. So when I heard that the Downtown Deco District was putting together a group of Pop-Up shops for the month of December, I was giddy with excitement!

I headed down to 5th and Boston for the soft opening on Monday to check out the goods, but the grand opening is TONIGHT from 5-8pm with carolers, Santa, live music and more…finally, a chance for my “silver bells” moment!

Indie Emporium shop vignettes

My first stop was at our friends at Indie Emporium’s shop – they have several rooms dedicated to some of their core vendors, set up in true indie fashion with vignettes of various products including some adorable paper goods and prints, handmade jewelry and hair accessories, my favorite tea towels (above) and more!

More yummy smelling candles and adorable felted soaps in the Indie Emporium shop

HOOD shop goodies – Vintage Christmas, dishware and more!

Next to the Indie Emporium shop, our favorite atomic archaeologist (and Prairie Hive MANDAY contributor), Shane Hood, has set up a shop featuring a jam-packed room full of treasures. I had to restrain myself from shopping for my own home while I was in here…he has tons of great barware, dishware, vintage Christmas decor, clocks and a few small furniture pieces as well. Remember that cabinet from Issue One? Multiply it by 100. I definitely crossed a few people off my list in this shop!

Theraganics Soaps

Just down the hall, you can smell the Therganics room – I had never been in their shop in The Farm, but these soaps and bath products smell so fantastic I couldn’t resist…plus they use all natural ingredients and essential oils in all their products. I can’t wait to lather up with the scents I bought (I practiced the one for you, one for me principle in this shop)!

Airplants a variety of containers (ready to give!) in the Earthly Delights shop

Down the street a bit, Mecca has set up a mini version of their Brookside shop, with kitchen goods, holiday decorations and other gift items.

Mecca’s window display

Oil and Vinegar tasting bar at Mecca…YUM!

Across the street, in the Philcade Building, there is also a bookstore, Bison and Bear men’s gift store, an art gallery and the Candy Castle. On the corner is Odds and Ends, another great shop for handmade items like scarves, baby booties, jewelry and home goods.

Odds and Ends Window display

Tie Dyed Scarves in Odds and Ends

(these are now on my wish list!)

In addition to finding some great unique gifts, it felt great to shop downtown, buy from local merchants and chat with the shop owners as I browsed. This is such a great effort by the Deco District to boost downtown businesses and push for more downtown revitalization with some much needed retail! I hope you’ll go down and visit and that you enjoy it as much as I did!

Don’t forget:

Grand Opening

TONIGHT, Wednesday, November 30

5-8pm

Live music, Santa, shopping and more!

See below for even more information on this month long pop-up!

As I pulled out the Christmas decorations over the weekend, I realized that the only thing missing was my favorite holiday candle! How could I possibly get in the spirit without my favorite winter scent wafting through the house? With the kids now back at school, my four year old and I set out to find a new one. I have always bought “Home for the Holidays” by Yankee Candle, but I thought this year I might try a new one. So, my favorite shopping buddy and I began by sniffing every candle in Anthropologie. We ended up settling on one there, but throughout the day I started started taking a poll of everyone’s favorite holiday candle. Here’s what I got…

I always wear them. But they don’t only look good on me. There was a time in America when literally every single man wore a hat.

If they could all wear them then, then so can you. And now is the season! But it’s not the time just because they’re en vogue. It’s literally the right time because of how warm they can keep you. A significant amount of heat is lost when your head is uncovered. Enter the hat. Hats keep you warm. And unlike the etiquette of old, it’s no longer impolite to keep them on indoors or at the table. Granted, this rule is circumstantial. But for the most part, bedhead is kept at bay with hats. Moreover, you may even get increased points for style.

Where to buy and how much? Like anything else, hats can cost an arm and a leg. Expect to pay $200 – 400 for top of the line. But for $25 – 40, you can pick one up no problem at department stores, Banana Republic, Gap, vintage shops, estate sales and online. One of my favorite spots online is Brixton.

What to buy? Will it fit? Used to be you had to measure your head to the nearest 1/8” to know what fits. Well, unless you’re breaking the bank to buy, hats now come in standard sizes. Standard like small, medium, large and extra large. Literally all you have to do is try on hats one time and you’ll know what you wear. It’s pretty universal. Easy peezy. Beyond that, if it’s under $50 and you like it, buy it. Don’t worry whether or not you have something for it. If it’s black or brown it will go with nearly anything you own. As far as style goes, driving caps (flattens as it approaches the bill) are great for more casual events. Fedoras are will dress anything up…both look great with business attire. The fedora has become interchangeable with anything with a brim, but there are many styles besides the Fedora. Derby, Trilby, Bowler, Pork Pie, etc…

Something about the holidays and the promise of a couple of uninterrupted days away from work make me want to snuggle up with a big stack of books. This weekend I’ve quite a pile on my side table and thought I would share what I plan to rifle through this weekend.

There is one corner of our library that holds most of the subjects I like to peruse over and over. The crafts, building, other DIY, baking, cooking, homes, design, music, games and all other home and hobby related reads are conveniently located together in a sunny corner. Most of the time I just go and start pulling anything that grabs my attention off the shelf. This time I ended up with a mix of home design and handmade reads. Here’s the round up:

1. The Bust DIY Guide to Life: I was surprised to find so many suggestions for homemade cleaners/ personal products that I already use in this book! It made me feel almost mainstream.

2. The Gentle Art of Domesticity: I enjoy the scholarly take on living a handmade life. This book is a collection of small essays and thoughts the author has on subjects ranging from domestic movies to line drying to soul food.

3. Design Sponge at Home: I have to say I haven’t had a chance to break into this one yet, I’ll be getting into it tomorrow. I’m sure I’ll want to put it down to start something I am inspired to put my own spin on.

4. Pocket Neighborhoods: I’ve read several books on creating neighborhoods, towns and cities. I hope to walk away inspired to get to know my neighbors better. My shy self has a hard time just walking up to strangers and talking even though I’ve seen them several days a week for a few years now!

5. Homemade: The Heart and Science of Handcrafts: I love this one. A tried and true account of several time tested handcrafts that will remain somewhat unchanged through the ages. With a description of the heart, history and how to make it happen of these chosen crafts, I might have to make this part of my personal library.

6. Undecorate: I’ve had this on the list for awhile and expect to find support for my own style of living and decorating. So here I’m looking for a little affirmation as well as a few of those “why didn’t I think of that?” moments.

I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and if you have any must-read recommendations, please let me know!

Welcome!

Meet the Hive

Prairie Hive takes a peek into real, un-"designed" homes in Oklahoma, along with the people who inhabit them. This team of local designers, photographers, crafters, stylists and writers takes inspiration from everyday families, striving to create entertaining and DIY ideas that are attainable and affordable, and to show you how to get the look for yourself.